ATU Action Weekly Update - 8/28/06

• Orlando Members Meet With Gubernatorial Candidate
• Cincinnati Local Urges Members to Support Labor-Friendly Candidates
• ATU Members Hit the Streets in West Palm Beach
• La Crosse, Wisconsin Local Helping to Re-Elect Governor

Due to the Labor Day holiday, there will be no ATU Actiobn Weekly Update on Monday, September 4th.  Enjoy Your Holiday!

Orlando Members Meet With Gubernatorial Candidate

This past Saturday, Members and Officers of ATU Local 1596 in Orlando, Florida, attended a local NAACP Candidate Forum where they heard from County Commissioner candidates.  At the forum, candidates discussed their position on a variety of transportation issues, including dedicated funding for public transportation in Central Florida.  Following the forum, the ATU officers and members traveled to Kissimmee to meet with Gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis (D).  The members discussed transportation issues with the candidate and presented him with a neon green ATU shirt - in the hopes that it would keep him visible on the campaign trail.  Davis will face a tough primary contest on September 5th. 

Cincinnati Local Urges Members to Support Labor-Friendly Candidates

In a letter to the members of ATU Local 627 in Cincinnati, Ohio, President/Business Agent Mark Bennett urged members to support gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland (D) and U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown (D). "Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown have steadfastly sided with Ohio's workers as Congressmen and they will continue to do so as Governor and Senator," said the letter. Ohio is one of the top battleground states in the election this cycle. Both candidates are in extremely tight races with Republican opponents.

ATU Members Hit the Streets in West Palm Beach

With the primary election just a week away, the members of ATU Local 1577 in West Palm Beach, Florida, are becoming very active. On August 18th, ATU members rallied in support of U.S. House candidate Tim Mahoney at a local candidate forum. A few days later, members of the local volunteered to help a COPE endorsed candidate for County Commissioner by knocking on doors and encouraging people to get out to vote in the primary. And last Friday, President/Business Agent Dwight Mattingly sent a letter to each member urging them support all of the local's endorsed candidates.

La Crosse, Wisconsin Local Helping to Re-Elect Governor

Members of ATU Local 519 in La Crosse, Wisconsin received a letter this week from President/Business Agent Dale Anderson asking them to vote to re-elect Governor Jim Doyle. Doyle is currently locked in a close race with Congressman Mark Green. With Republicans controlling both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature, it is crucial to have a Democratic Governor to protect the interests of the working men and women. "Wisconsin needs a man like Governor Doyle to keep the legislators in Madison from shifting an unfair portion of health care costs from the employer to the working family," said the letter.